Fall From Twenty Thousand Feet
by jewelzlittleSecret
Summary: A night on patrol turns into a night from hell when Danny is shot out of the sky. Danny's survival becomes a huge doubt as his friends gather around him and hope for the best. But what happens as feelings come out and secrets are exposed. Rated T to be safe.


**AN: Hey guys you know the drill. I don't own Danny Phantom or its characters. Or the poems which are both by the amazing Robert Frost or the songs You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins, Healing Incantation by Mandy Moore and Soft Kitty from the Big Bang Theory. The songs are awesome and always enhance the reading experience. Shout out to my beta thank you for all your help with this story. Please review and tell me what you think. Enjoy guys. Happy reading.**

"Come on Fenton is that all you got" Valerie teased Danny as she raced ahead of him.

"Oh I'll show you what I got" Danny teased back as he shot in front of her.

Sam just rolled her eyes. It was just a normal Friday night for her out on ghost patrol with her best friend Tucker Foley, her newest best friend Valerie Grey and the love of her life Danny Fenton. Although no one knew she loved Danny and it made her sick to watch as Danny and Valerie flirted with each other all the time.

"Sam, Tucker get down to the old mattress factory NOW! DOUBLE TROUBLE!"

They heard Danny's voice over the Fenton Phones. Sam and Tucker pushed their scooters as fast as they would go. When Sam arrived at the factory it took her a few seconds to locate the fight for it was happening several thousand feet above her head. She pulled her binoculars out of her backpack. From what she see it looked like a pretty even fight Danny and Valerie against Vlad and Skulker. It was an even fight until she saw Vlad take a cheap shot at Valerie. They heard Valerie scream as she started to fall. Danny shot at Skulker then turned his attention toward Valerie. He shot out the roof of the mattress factory that she was heading for.

"WATCH OUT" Sam screamed out but her voice was lost as Skulker blasted Danny. Sam watched through her binoculars in horror as Danny reached toward his side as Vlad took another shot at Danny. And then they saw Danny fall from the sky. Sam saw Skulker flying towards Danny she thought fast and grabbed the Fenton Thermos and ran towards Danny. She aimed and caught Skulker before he could attack Danny again. Tucker on the other hand was shooting at Vlad as he easily dodged the boy's shots before flying away. Then Tucker followed Sam's lead and ran toward Danny. Sam knelt down next to Danny. He was pale, barely conscious, and had blood coming from everywhere. It was a mix of dark red blood and neon green ectoplasm. Danny was clutching the gaping hole in his side, she could tell the right side of his body was crushed by the impact. Sam heard Tucker on the phone with 911 trying to explain how a boy fell out of the sky. Sam looked up in desperation and saw Valerie limping toward them. She limped over and saw Danny on the ground and took off in the other direction.

"Where are you going?" Tucker shouted after her.

"After Vlad he is going to pay for this" Valerie said as she took off as fast as she could.

"Paramedics are on the way" Tucker said as he stood next to Sam.

"Sam…" Danny said in a weak voice.

"I'm here Danny" Sam said scooting closer to him.

"I'm so cold"

"I know you are baby but hang in there help is coming"

"I'm sorry Sam" Danny said as his eyes closed

"Danny… Danny" Sam said as she reached out and touched his shoulder. She heard the sirens in the distance. "Hang on Danny, hang on, help is coming" She felt her tears running down her checks hoping she wasn't watching the love of her life die.

The paramedics arrived on scene and Sam moved out of their way as they rolled Danny onto a spine board and stabilized his neck. One of the paramedics turned to Sam and Tucker "Where did he fall from?" They shrugged their shoulders. The paramedic looked back down at Danny. He looked at his watch like he was about to call time of death. "He has a pulse" "He does?" "It's a weak pulse but it's a pulse" "Let's move" the paramedics quickly put Danny on the stretcher in the ambulance and they were gone. But the look never left the paramedics face. He didn't think Danny would survive this.

Sam turned to Tucker and broke down sobbing. Tucker held her and let her cry while his own silent tears leaked down his cheeks. After a few minutes one of the officers on scene approached them.

"Hi guys I'm Elliot I'm one of the detectives on the case. Can you tell me what happened here?" They shook their heads no. "Did you see anyone around here that shouldn't be here?" Again they shook their heads. "Did Danny have any enemies?" Again they shook their heads. "So what were you guys doing down here and what happened to the mattress factory?"

"We hang out down here sometimes' Sam explained 'We were meeting here when we heard a loud crash and then we came and saw Danny on the ground" Sam explained. Elliot nodded as he wrote.

"Was Danny suicidal?" "No" Tucker and Sam answered together. Elliot wrote more notes.

"Alright last question what's this green stuff?"

"It's paint he fell in it"

"I thought you didn't see anything?"

"We didn't there was a couple of paint cans lying around that got pushed out of the way when the paramedics showed up" Sam quickly covered.

Elliot wasn't buying any of this he knew they knew more than they were letting on but he figured they just wanted to see their friend.

"Alright thanks for your time. Come with me I'll give you a ride to the hospital so you can see your friend."

Sam's tears started to fall again. Tucker and Elliot helped her into the car where she clung to Tucker and cried. When they got to the hospital Sam couldn't wait to find out about Danny. As soon as the car was parked she was off with Tucker and Elliot on her heals. She was already at the nurse's station when they walked in.

"Anything?" Tucker asked nervously.

"She's checking" Sam said anxiously.

"Alright you're waiting for news on Danny Fenton?" the nurse said.

"Yes how is he?" Sam asked.

"He's in surgery if you want to wait the doctor will come out and talk to you when the surgery is finished but it could be awhile" the nurse said.

"But he's alive right?" Sam asked anxiously.

"As far as I know yes he is" the nurse said. Sam hugged Tucker and they went and sat down. Elliot handed the nurse his card and said to call him when Danny was awake he wanted to talk to him and then he left.

Sam and Tucker waited but what they thought would take minutes took hours. Sam paced around like a nervous five year old.

"Family of Danny Fenton" they heard a male voice call. Sam and Tucker rushed over to him.

"We're here for Danny" Tucker said.

"How is he?" Sam asked anxiously.

"He's stable but in critical condition. I've put his stomach back together as best as I could and got the internal bleeding under control he'll need some more surgeries to completely repair the damage. He has a skull fracture and a bruise on the brain that has left him in a coma we didn't see any bleeding in the brain but we will be monitoring that. But he has brain function and that's what's important. And several other bodily injuries. That will have to be evaluated more thoroughly when and if he wakes up." The doctor said.

"What do you mean bodily injuries?" Sam asked as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"His right arm was broken in three places, the shoulder and hip were shattered and his leg was broken in four places. We have them stabilized but he will need surgery to repair the hip and the shoulder. As they heal we will have to evaluate their mobility and such. The ribs on the right side of his body were broken but he was lucky that nothing punctured his lungs. There is one more thing we've detected an injury to his lower spine. We have to do further testing but it appears to be nerve damage and from the looks of it your friend may never walk again."

Sam chocked back a sob. "Can we see him?"

"Yes you can but just to warn you he's just come out of surgery, he lost a lot of blood and were giving him transfusions, he's also on a ventilator which means that we are breathing for him."

Sam took a deep breath as she processed what the doctor said. "Do you think he'll survive?"

The doctor got a weird look on his face. "He's stable but not out of the woods yet however he's young and healthy I think he could go either way"

Sam nodded her head "Ok I'm ready to see him"

"Alright grab your things and follow me"

"You go' Tucker said 'I have to go home"

"Why?"

"My mom wanted me home hours ago. I just wanted to know that Danny was alive. I'll come back tomorrow."

Tucker picked up his things, hugged Sam and left. Sam picked up her things and followed the doctor down several long hallways. He finally stopped in front of a door labeled ICU – 265.

"Do you have a number for his parents" the doctor asked her suddenly.

"Just their home number but they aren't there. They're out with his sister on a college tour but they should be home in a few days." Sam took the pen and pad of paper the doctor offered her and wrote down the number she knew by heart.

"Thank you I want to talk to them for obvious reasons"

Sam gave an understanding nod.

"You can go in now if you're ready" the doctor said as he started to walk away.

Sam nodded and braced herself with the doctors warning as she opened the door. What she saw made her heart drop. He was pale, he had tubes and wires coming out of him, his entire right side was practically covered in a cast, and the rest of his visible skin was covered in bandages.

"Oh Danny" Sam cried out as the tears started to fall.

She pulled a chair up to his bedside and took his left hand in both of hers. She lay her head on his bed real careful to avoid his body. The next thing she knew she was being woken up by two nurses.

"Sorry to wake you dear but Danny's due in surgery" the female nurse said in a soothing voice.

Sam let go of his hand and pushed the chair away. The male nurse that was with her was prepping the bed and equipment to be moved.

"What's he do in surgery for?" Sam asked.

"The doctor is going to attempt to do his shoulder and his hip. If everything goes good and he remains stable. If something goes wrong it will just be the shoulder and he'll attempt the hip another day" the nurse said.

The male nurse had everything ready and wheeled Danny out of the room.

"The surgery is going to take serval hours. You should use this time to freshen up" the nurse said gesturing to Sam's body. Sam looked down over her body and realized she was still covered in Danny's blood.

"Oh right"

"You can use the shower behind you"

"Thank you" Sam said.

The nurse left and Sam grabbed her bag. She always kept fresh undergarments in her bag just in case a late night of ghost patrolling turned into her staying at Danny's or Valerie's. She took a quick shower, she would have to settle for the clothes she was wearing. She would have to remember to keep a change of clothes in her bag but she usually just borrowed something from Jazz or Valerie. When she was done with everything she settled back into her chair and pulled out her poetry book and started reading. She wasn't sure when it happened but she eventually fell asleep. She was awoken hours later by the sound of a bed being rolled into the room. Sam stretched as the male nurse positioned the bed and began reattaching all the equipment. The female nurse from earlier came into the room and was followed by a tech pushing a large machine.

"Hey sweetie I was wondering if you could come into the hall with me for a few minutes we just need to do a few x – rays" the nurse said in a soothing voice.

"Ok" Sam was reluctant to go. She looked back at Danny one more time. She saw the tech prepping Danny to do the x – rays and she left the room.

"I thought I would update you. The surgery was a success. The doctor was able to do both the shoulder and the hip replacement. We did some x – rays in the operating room but the doctor wanted to do some more to make sure everything is in the right place and to check on his other injuries. Especially his rip and chest injuries" the nurse explained.

Sam nodded as she processed what the nurse said. The nurse stayed and comforted Sam the entire time they were doing the x – rays. A few minutes later the tech left pushing the big machine with him and Sam was told she could go back into the room.

She went in and immediately pulled her chair up next to his bedside and took his hand in hers. She sat and read to him, played music for him, and most importantly to her sat there and held his hand and talked to him like he was conscious. Later that day Tucker texted Sam that his mom had grounded him for the day and that he would be there tomorrow. Sam chuckled and told Danny.

Sam heard a knock on the door, she looked up and saw the doctor from earlier come in followed by the kind and caring nurse that Sam had come to like. "Hello again we are just going to do a quick evaluation on Danny ok?" Sam nodded her head and slide her chair back as the doctor started evaluating Danny. He put his stethoscope to Danny's chest and listened. Then he pressed a little harder and scrunched his eyebrows.

"What?" Sam asked worried.

"Oh nothing just when he came in he could barely breathe and now based on what I saw in his x – rays and what I'm hearing now he sounds ready for me to take him off the ventilator. I've just never seen anyone recover that fast"

Sam just smiled to herself she knew it was Danny's ghost half that was helping him heal so fast.

"Nurse lets change the bandages and then well take him off the ventilator" the doctor said as the nurse pushed the cart up to the bedside. Sam went and sat in her seat to be out of the way. She watched as they pulled down the sheets and untied the front of his gown. She saw the nurse pull out a pair of scissors and start to cut away the bandages.

"OH MY GOD" she heard them exclaim a few moments later.

Sam jumped up and rushed to his bedside.

"What? What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"That's not possible" the nurse said.

Sam looked up and down Danny's body worry evident on her face.

"Those were third degree burns how did they heal so quickly" the doctor said as he looked at the nurse in confusion.

Sam's eyes however rested on Danny's chest and Sam realized for the first time that Danny was ripped. Well he would have been if it wasn't for the obvious injuries he had on his chest and stomach. Sam now saw the extent of his injuries. She could see that the right side of his chest was crushed and bruised, ribs were obviously broken. Sam couldn't even see Danny's right arm for it was completely covered in a cast all the way up to his shoulder where it was met by his neck brace. She could tell that the neck brace went all the way down his back she could see the straps wrap around his chest just under his armpits and just above his heavily bandaged side. And just under that she could see the start of what appeared to be a very extensive leg cast.

"Why does he have those straps around him?" Sam asked suddenly

"To keep him from moving until we can fully evaluate his spine injury" the doctor explained. "Nurse is the oxygen mask ready?"

"Yes doctor it is"

"Ok let's take him off the ventilator"

Sam quickly returned to her chair and watched from there. She was glad Danny was unconscious because part of the process looked painful. After the procedure was done and the mask was securely on the doctor stood there and watched Danny. It seemed like he was waiting for Danny to crash. But nothing happened his vitals remained strong and stable. All three breathed a sigh of relief after two days in the hospital Danny was off the ventilator. The doctor gave one more check and left, the nurse finished cleaning up and left. Sam once again moved her chair to Danny's bedside and took his hand in hers.

"Danny come back to me. I miss you" Sam said as a tear rolled down her check. She gently lifted his limp hand to her lips.

When she heard the familiar voices of Tucker and Valerie coming down the hall. She quickly put Danny's hand back on the bed. Then she thought again and put it back in both of hers. She heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in" she said.

Tucker and Valerie came in hand in hand. Valerie went and hugged Sam then returned to Tuckers side at the foot of the bed.

"How's he doing?" Tucker asked.

"Better' Sam said looking at Danny and brushing a piece of hair out of his face 'They just removed the ventilator a little while ago"

"Has he woken up yet?" Valerie asked.

"No not yet" Sam said.

Tucker took in Sam's appearance "Sam have you been home since he was admitted?"

"No I didn't want him to wake up and I not be here"

"If he ever wakes up" Valerie said.

"Valerie he is going to wake up he is making great progress"

"Yeah Sam that happens all the time. They make a great initial recovery and then either end up plateauing or even declining"

"When did this little love connection happen" Sam said suddenly desperate to change the topic.

"The night the accident happened Valerie went after Vlad and made him pay for what he did, after that she came over to my place. I wasn't home yet so she waited for me and when I got home I snuck her into my room. We talked about Danny's injuries, I told her what the doctor said and she started doing some research online and suddenly burst into tears. We started comforting each other and one thing lead to another' Tucker explained 'What about your little love connection?" he said gesturing to Danny and Sam's intertwined fingers.

"This isn't a love connection it's just some way to comfort him and let him know I'm here for him until he wakes up"

"If he wakes up" Valerie said again.

"Stop it Valerie he's going to wake up. The Danny Fenton I fell in love with is a fighter"

"You LOVE Danny" they exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes I do I have since I met him…" Sam was cut abruptly when they heard a coughing sound and a low groan. They all looked down at Danny. Sam felt Danny squeeze her hand she squeezed back. They saw his eyes flutter open.

"Sam … love …' Danny said in a harsh whisper 'You're hurting my hand"

"Oh sorry Danny" Sam said as she let go of his hand.

"Hey man welcome back" Tucker said gently patting his leg.

"Hey Tuck" Danny said his voice getting a little stronger.

""Hey Val"

"Hey Danny" Valerie said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey guys can I have a minute with Sam"

"Of course man' Tucker said with one last tap on his leg 'We'll go tell the nurse you're up" Tucker grabbed Valerie's hand and they left.

Danny out stretched his left arm as best he could and Sam hugged him.

"Oh Danny I was so worried about you. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember Vlad took a cheap shot at Valerie and she fell. I turned to look at her. I shot the mattress factory roof out and she fell through. Then there was this terrible burning pain. I could feel myself falling and then I was on the ground. Everything hurt. I was so cold, then you were there. I felt your tears. You… you called me baby, and then I woke up here" Danny said with a harsh whisper.

Sam sat up and gently rubbed Danny's chest.

"Sam"

"Yes Danny"

"I also remember something else"

"What's that Danny?"

"I remember I heard you say you're in love with me"

Sam's hand stopped rubbing Danny's chest. Her hand rested over Danny's heart and she could feel its slow and steady rhythm. She looked away from him ashamed and embarrassed.

"Hey Sam…' Danny said his voice getting harsher 'look at me" Sam slowly turned her gaze to him. He could see the faint blush on her cheeks. "It's ok Sam. You don't have to be embarrassed. I love you too."

Sam just smiled, she leaned down to kiss Danny only to realize he was still wearing an oxygen mask. She instead pressed her lips to Danny's forehead. When she pulled away she could see his hurt expression. She smiled and started rubbing his chest again.

"Hey when the doctor takes it off we can ok" Sam said as she tapped his mask.

Danny only nodded, Sam knew that his throat must still be sore from the ventilator.

"Hey Sam" Danny said again his voice getting harsher.

"Yes Danny"

"Were you hurt in the accident?"

"No, why do you ask"

"Because your clothes are covered in blood"

"Oh no, I'm not hurt it's yours. I was kneeling next to you to try and help you and it got on me. I just didn't want to leave you. Now no more talking you're going to lose your voice"

Danny nodded, Sam continued to rub Danny's chest he really seemed to like it. A few minutes later Tucker and Valerie returned with the doctor and nurse quick on their heels. Sam hopped off the bed, pushed back her original chair and sat back in it. Valerie walked up to Sam and the two talked in hush tones and then she grabbed Tuckers hand and the two of them left.

"Alright Mr. Fenton welcome back. I'm Dr. Newman and I've been treating you since you came in. This is Jenny your nurse' she gave a small wave to Danny 'how are you feeling?"

"To be honest Doc I've been better"

Dr. Newman, Jenny and Sam all chuckled.

"Alright then were going to do a quick evaluation. I know your throat hurts so well try to keep the talking to a minimum. Jenny take notes please' the doctor removed Danny's blanket it was then that Danny realized he couldn't move his head very much, he was about to ask why when Dr. Newman started asking him questions 'So Danny can you tell me what happened?"

"No I don't remember"

"Jenny CT of the head please"

Dr. Newman continued his exam but every time he touched Danny's right side he winced in pain.

"What's he on for pain"

Jenny checked his chart "He's on one milligram of morphine"

"Put him on a morphine drip at two milligrams every four hours. Danny how does this feel?" Dr. Newman asked as he worked out Danny's left arm.

"It feels fine but a little sore"

Ok that's normal' Dr. Newman continued down Danny's legs 'Alright Danny how does this feel?"

"How does what feel?" he asked.

Dr. Newman, Jenny and Sam all got a nervous look on their faces.

"Add CT of neck and spine to that list please"

Dr. Newman grabbed something out of the cart of supplies he walked back to Danny. "Alright Danny I want you to tell me if you can feel this" then he touched Danny's foot with it.

"No" Danny said with a shake in his voice.

He reached out for Sam and she quickly got up and took Danny's hand. She looked down and saw what the doctor had touched Danny's foot with. It was a needle, she knew that it wasn't good.

"Alright Danny your recovering nicely, your awake so that's good. However you may have noticed you can't sit up and moving your head is a little tough"

"Yeah I did I was going to ask you about that"

"Well here's the thing when you first came in, after we stabilized you and got back your x – rays and such we detected some hairline fractures in your lower spine so we put you in a brace. When we got the first set of CT scans back we noticed some nerve damage as well so we put you in the brace you're in now. It encompasses your neck and wraps around your body to keep your back still. However we couldn't fully evaluate the injury until you woke up. But from the looks of it you're going to need back surgery to repair the nerve damage"

"And then I'll be ok right"

Sam tried to brace for the impact of Danny's reaction as she knew what the doctor was about to say.

"I'm sorry Danny but there is no guarantee that you will ever walk again"

Danny squeezed his eyes shut as the tears poured down his cheeks and a few sobs escaped from his lips. Sam tried to comfort him as best as she could and after a few minutes he settled down and she wiped away the tears that were still flowing.

"Hey I will still love you even if you are in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. I'm not going anywhere"

Danny smiled and she gently pressed her lips to his forehead. Then she fixed her hair and he smiled again.

"I'm really sorry Danny. Ill schedule your surgery for tomorrow" Dr. Newman said

Danny nodded his head.

"Jenny go ahead and remove the oxygen mask and switch him to nasal please"

Dr. Newman left the room and a few minutes later the switch was made.

"There you go sweetie" Jenny said as she patted his chest.

"Why do I still need to be on oxygen?" Danny asked.

"Your lungs are still a little weak' Jenny explained 'it's like you just had an asthma attack. We don't need to breath for you but your lungs still need a little more help"

"Ok"

"Can I get you anything?"

"Could I have some water please?"

"Should be ok. Let me go double check with the doctor" Jenny said as she left the room.

Sam was rubbing Danny's hand when he suddenly grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. Sam smiled and continued rubbing his chest. Danny smiled and closed his eyes. They heard the door open and they turned to see Tucker and Valerie come in, followed by Jenny who was carrying a cup of water and a syringe. Sam got up and gave Tucker and Valerie the update on Danny, then she took the bag that Valerie was holding and went into the bathroom. Jenny gave Danny some water, she had to be real creative because he wasn't allowed to sit up so she put it in the syringe and gave it to him like you would give a child medicine. As she left she made it clear it clear to Tucker and Valerie that water was all he allowed to have.

"Hey I'm sorry man" Tucker said with a sympathetic rub of his shoulder.

"It's whatever, I mean it happens" Danny said his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Are you scared?" Valerie asked taking his hand in hers.

"I'd like to say not really but the truth is' Danny said as Sam exited the bathroom 'I'm terrified that I'll never walk again"

Sam's heart sank, as she walked to Danny's bedside and dropped the bag. "Alright that's enough talking"

"Wait one more question' Danny said in a harsh whisper 'When did this love connection happen" he said gesturing to Tucker and Valerie.

"The night the accident happened she came over to my house and we were comforting each other and one thing led to another" Tucker explained.

Danny made an 'ok' sign with his hand then he yawned. Sam could tell he was tired, Tucker and Valerie could see it too.

"Hey man well come see you tomorrow after your surgery" Tucker said with a reassuring shoulder pat.

"Get some rest we'll see you tomorrow" Valerie said and she gave him a peck on the cheek, then she took Tuckers hand and the two left.

Sam pulled her chair back to his bedside and again started rubbing his chest. Within minutes he was asleep, she could feel his steady heartbeat under her hand and she smiled. A while later Jenny came back in carrying a pack of blood.

"Dr. Newman ordered another transfusion" Jenny explained as she hooked up the transfusion into one of the many tubes in Danny's arm. She quickly checked everything and then left.

Sam continued to rub Danny's chest until she too fell asleep. Sam was awoken hours later by a gentle shaking. She looked around confused to who was shaking her and then she realized it was Danny. Danny pointed at the water cup sitting on the tray at the foot of the bed.

"Oh Danny I can't you have surgery today but let me call Jenny and see what she says" Sam said as she pressed the call nurse button. A few minutes later she was there.

"Good morning Danny, how are you feeling today?"

Danny pointed to the water cup.

"Ok you can have a little water" She had to do it the same way as before giving him a small amount the same way you would give a child medicine. "Better?" she asked.

Danny gave her a thumbs up.

"Good' she checked his monitors and vitals 'Everything looks good your surgery is later this afternoon so take it easy ok?"

Danny again gave her a thumbs up.

She smiled "Ok call me if you need anything" she gave his chest a quick pat and left.

Danny didn't feel much like talking so they just sat there with Sam gently rubbing his chest. After a while Danny pointed at something on the side of the bed. It took Sam a minute to figure out what Danny wanted.

"Oh this' Sam said picking up her book 'this is my book of poetry by Robert Frost. Would you like me to read you some?"

Danny gave her a thumbs up and Sam smiled she opened her book and started reading.

"The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,  
And sorry I could not travel both  
And be one traveler, long I stood  
And looked down one as far as I could  
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair  
And having perhaps the better claim,  
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;  
Though as for that the passing there  
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay  
In leaves no step had trodden black.  
Oh, I kept the first for another day!  
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,  
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh  
Somewhere ages and ages hence:  
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —  
I took the one less traveled by,  
And that has made all the difference"

Sam sat there and held the book in one hand and was rubbing Danny's chest with the other.

"Fire and Ice' Sam continued reading as they heard the door open

'Some say the world will end in fire,  
Some say in ice.  
From what I've tasted of desire  
I hold with those who favor fire.  
But if it had to perish twice,  
I think I know enough of hate  
To say that for destruction ice  
Is also great  
And would suffice"

Sam closed the book and patted Danny's chest and he opened his eyes. He saw Tucker and Valerie and he gave them a slight wave with his hand.

Just then Jenny came in with a small tray "Hey how's my favorite patient?' Danny gave her the okay sign. 'Alright your surgery is in about an hour and I have some medication for you. This one is for nausea and this one is to help you relax' she quickly gave them to him 'Ok that will do it we will be back in about 20 minutes to take you to surgery ok?" Danny gave her another okay sign and she smiled and left.

"Hey man' Tucker said as he took Danny's hand and put the other hand on his shoulder 'we'll be here when you wake up" he gave him a half way bro hug.

"See you soon" Valerie said with a kiss on his cheek.

"Come on Val let's give them a minute" Tucker said as he grabbed her hand.

"I love you Danny"

"I love you too Sam" Danny said. Sam leaned in and gave him a kiss and they sat there in silence. Danny pointed to the door.

"Tuck, Val you guys can come in" They came in and stood at the foot of the bed.

"Read me Fire and Ice again" Danny said suddenly, his voice sounding tired. Everyone knew the medication was starting to take effect.

"Sure Danny

Some say the world will end in fire,  
Some say in ice.  
From what I've tasted of desire  
I hold with those who favor fire.  
But if it had to perish twice,  
I think I know enough of hate  
To say that for destruction ice  
Is also great  
And would suffice"

Sam closed the book and took Danny's hand in hers. Jenny came back into the room followed by a male nurse.

"Alright Danny are you ready"

He gave a thumbs up. Sam pushed her chair back and the nurse made quick work of his bed, Danny waved to his friends as he was pushed out the door and they waved back.

"The surgery will take serval hours. Here' she said handing Sam a card 'lunch is on the house"

"Thank you"

"Don't mention it"

They went down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch.

"Valerie' Sam said as she stabbed at her salad 'answer me this. After the accident you came out limping. Yet now you're perfectly fine. How is that?"

"Well Danny and I have run drills down there before just in case something happened we would have a soft place to land. So the night of the accident when I fell Danny knew that if he shot out the roof of the mattress factory I would have a soft place to land. I sort of bounced down different stacks of mattresses. The only injury I got was a sprained ankle wrap it up in an ace bandage take some Advil and it feels better" Valerie explained.

Tucker and Sam both looked at Valerie in confusion neither one knew that they had been running drills. The three ate in silence and went back to Danny's room when they finished. Danny wasn't back yet so they sat and waited. A few times Tucker or Valerie would make a comment in hopes to stimulate conversation but in the end no one really felt like talking. So they settled on other tasks to keep themselves busy. Sam read her book, Valerie knitted a scarf and Tucker played with his new piece of technology. Sam was pulled from her book by a low groaning cry that was in complete agony. Tucker and Valerie heard it too and all three were snapped to attention. The male nurse who had taken him away brought him back into the room. Sam was quick to Danny's side and took his hand in both of hers. She looked down and saw the complete look of agony on Danny's face. Sam felt Danny squeeze her hand.

"Sam… it hurts" Danny said in a weak, strained and harsh voice.

"I know baby just hang in there" Sam said trying to comfort him.

"His nurse is coming with some more pain medication" Once everything was stable the male nurse left.

"Hang in there Danny, Jenny's coming" Sam said rubbing Danny's chest with one hand and holding his hand with the other. Sam, Tucker, and Valerie shared a look of helplessness. Danny squeezed Sam's hand.

"Sam…"

"I know baby what can I do. Tell me what I can do to make you feel better"

"Sing to me"

"Ok Danny" Sam said. She thought for a moment she didn't know many songs off the top of her head let alone lullabies. Then she got an idea when they, were little Danny's mom played Disney movies for them and Danny's favorite was Tarzan and that song always seemed to calm him down.

"Come stop your cryin'  
It'll be alright  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight

I will protect you  
From all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

For one so small  
You seem so strong  
My arms will hold you  
Keep you safe and warm  
This bond between us  
Can't be broken  
I will be here  
Don't you cry

Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart  
No matter what they say  
You'll be here in my heart  
Always"

Sam finished the song and noticed that Danny had calmed down a bit but it was clear by the death grip that he had on her hand that he was still in pain.

"Sing me another" Danny said with a forced smile.

Sam smiled back "Ok Danny

Flower, gleam and glow  
Let your power shine  
Make the clock reverse  
Bring back what once was mine  
Heal what has been hurt  
Change the Fates' design  
Save what has been lost  
Bring back what once was mine  
What once was mine"

She softly pressed her lips to his hand.

"One more"

Before Sam could answer they heard Jenny come in with the much needed pain medicine.

"Ok Danny last one

Soft Kitty

Warm Kitty

Little Ball of fur

Happy Kitty

Sleepy Kitty

Pur pur pur"

Danny was asleep before the song was finished. Sam sat there and held Danny's hand in hers and rubbed his chest.

"There you go my favorite patient"

"Why was he in so much pain?"

"Well back surgery is painful and he got disconnected from his morphine drip but now that he's asleep were going to reconnect him. But it might be a good thing"

"What that he's in pain" Sam said outraged

"Yes because it means he has feeling in his legs again let's hope. But with it comes some added pain because he's feeling everything from the fall. Any word from his parents"

"Not yet"

"I'll tell Dr. Newman" Jenny said as she left

"Hey Sam were going to go we'll be back tomorrow" Tucker said with a hug

"We'll bring you whatever you need, ok just text us" Valerie said with a hug

"All I need is a change of clothes and a new poetry book to read to Danny"

"Ok Sam you got it" Valerie said, they turned to leave

"Hey Sam"

"Yeah Tuck"

"Your singing was really beautiful and sweet"

"Thanks Tuck"

"No problem see you tomorrow"

"See you tomorrow"

Sam sat there for hours just rubbing Danny's chest she would occasionally stop and feel its gentle rise and fall and the steady rhythm of his heart and she would smile. After a while she picked up her poetry book while the other hand aimlessly traced circles on Danny's chest. From time to time she would fix his hair or gently caress his cheek and then continue reading. Sam looked up from her book when she heard a knock on the door and saw Jenny coming in with a tray of food.

"Hey Jenny, Danny's not awake yet so if you…" Sam said gesturing to the tray.

"Oh it's not for Danny, it's for you"

"Oh thank you"

"Don't mention it plus I needed an excuse to visit my favorite patient" Jenny said going over to Danny's morphine drip to make sure it was working properly.

"Why is Danny your favorite patient?"

"Because he reminds me of my own son, Matthew. I lost him last year to cancer but he always has a positive attitude, good sense of humor, and for the most part a smile on his face, even at the end"

Sam smiled "Yup that's Danny" she gently patted his chest.

"Well everything looks good but he's probably out for the night so I'll be in to check on him in the morning. If anything happens or you need anything come and get me ok"

"Ok thank you Jenny"

"No problem" she checked the monitors one more time and left.

Sam put down her book and ate her salad that Jenny was kind enough to bring her. After she finished she picked her book up and continued reading and rubbing Danny's chest. When she finished her book she rested her head on the side of his bed and gently closed her eyes.

"Sam, honey wake up"

Sam looked up confused and realized it was Jenny who was shaking her.

"Here is some tea"

"Thank you" Sam said as she took the cup.

"The medication that we gave him yesterday should be wearing off soon"

As soon as the words left her mouth Danny started to stir. Jenny paged Dr. Newman. Danny opened his eyes and looked around then he pointed to the water cup.

"Oh sure honey just a second' Jenny helped Danny get water again giving it to him through a syringe. 'Better?"

"Yes thank you' Danny said with a smile 'Good morning Sam"

"Good morning my love" she leaned down and gave him a kiss.

"Hey Doc" Danny said as Sam pulled away, she turned around and saw Dr. Newman and blushed.

"Good morning Danny, Sam. How are you feeling today Danny?"

"Feeling ok Doc"

"Alright let's do a quick exam. Can you feel this?" Dr. Newman asked running his hands up and down Danny's legs.

"Yes I can" Danny said with a smile as he reached for Sam's hand and she gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"How about this?" Dr. Newman asked as he brushed the bottom of his feet.

"Yes"

"Can you wiggle your toes?"

"I think so" Danny said as he tried.

"Very good Danny. Jenny let's try to sit him up"

"Does that mean the neck brace is coming off?" Danny asked.

"Not yet I don't want you moving you're back until it's completely healed' Dr. Newman explained 'Jenny let's get him something to eat and take him off oxygen"

Sam moved out of the way and noticed Valerie and Tucker standing in the doorway. She went over to them and updated them on what was going on.

"Alright Danny how do you feel?"

"I feel great Doc. Hey Val, Tuck welcome back" he said with a smile.

"Danny do you have a number at which I could contact your parents. I haven't been able to get in contact with them yet"

"Sure Doc" Danny took the pen and paper that Dr. Newman offered him and wrote out the numbers.

"Thank you Danny, as soon as I get in contact with them I'll be discharging you to them. Once you're discharged you'll need weekly checkups. You're also going to need a lot of physical therapy if you want to live outside of a wheelchair. So when your casts come off I'll arrange for you to check into a rehabilitation hospital so you can get the care you need"

"Ok thanks Doc"

"No problem I'll be back to check on you later" Dr. Newman said and he left.

Jenny came in right after he left with some food for Danny. If you could call it food; applesauce, oatmeal, and juice. Danny didn't eat very much and he hesitantly sipped the juice. Jenny said it was normal and that he would be on a strict diet for a while.

Every day Dr. Newman came to evaluate Danny and everyday he was a little stronger.

TWO DAYS LATER

"Hey Danny how are you feeling today?" Dr. Newman asked

"Little sore and stiff" Danny answered

"Alright let's see if we can get someone to work those out"

Dr. Newman started evaluating Danny when suddenly they heard a commotion down the hall

"WHERE IS DANNY FENTON'S ROOM… DANNY!"

"Sam will you go get my parents and calm them down"

"Sure Danny"

Sam left and a few minutes later she returned with Danny's parents hot on her heels.

"Danny are you….OH MY GOD' Danny's mom exclaimed when she saw Danny's injuries 'What happened?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton I'm Dr. Newman I've been treating Danny since he came in. Can I speak to you in the hall?"

"Yes of course. Danny we'll be right back" Danny's mom said as she kissed his forehead and left.

Sam came and sat on the bed next to Danny and intertwined their fingers. Danny was about to say something when overheard his parents talking to Dr. Newman.

"How bad is it Dr. Newman?" Maddie asked

"Well when he came in he had a hole in his side and internal bleeding that we got under control, he had a skull fracture and a bruise on the brain that left him in a coma. He has since come out of it, however he doesn't remember the accident. His right arm was broken in three places, the shoulder and hip were shattered and his leg was broken in four places. He had some broken ribs but nothing punctured his lungs. The last thing is that he had a lower spine injury we've done surgery and he has feeling in his legs again but he is going to need a lot of physical therapy if he wants to walk again. We've made arrangements for him to check into a rehabilitation hospital so he can learn to walk again."

"How are we going to pay for this?" Maddie said as she choked back tears

"Well there is one more thing. We received a letter shortly after he came in. There was a blank check inside and the note said take care of my little badger. Do you know about who would do this? We haven't asked Danny yet do you think he would know?"

"No we have no idea who would do this for Danny?"

Danny tuned out what the doctor and his parents were saying. Vlad was paying for his treatment, but Vlad had caused the accident why would he pay for his treatments?

The End


End file.
